What follows is a reprint of this blog's very first Christmas post from December 25, 2012.
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Keep him away in a manger, no crib for a bed
I'd rather not think of the thorns 'round his head
It pains me to picture his back beaten raw
Just give me the baby, asleep on the straw
The cattle! The wise men from far, distant lands!
The little Lord Jesus who makes no demands
I love the old carols and things in that vein
Just stay in the cradle and don't make me change
Be Little Lord Christchild, I ask thee to stay
The babe in a manger forever, I pray
To die when you're perfect would be such a loss
It's far too disturbing: the blood and the cross
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Truth is...this really is the desire of a lot of folks; enamored with the romanticism and fairytale quality of The Christmas Story, but uncomfortable with the grisly necessity of Good Friday.
Taking this song out of order in our review of Randy Stonehill's Welcome to Paradise for seasonal reasons... "Christmas Song For All Year 'Round" is the penultimate song of the album, and in several ways, it packs the hardest punch. Not musically, because it sounds like a Christmas lullaby, but the poignant, simple, bittersweet lyric does far more than tug at the heart...grasp it with both hands and wring it dry is more like it.
I wonder if this Christmas they'll begin to understand
The Jesus that they celebrate is much more than a man
'Cause the way the world is, I don't see how people can deny
The only way to save us was for Jesus Christ to die
And I know that if St. Nicholas was here, he would agree
That Jesus gave the greatest gift of all to you and me
They led him to the slaughter on a hill called Calvary
And mankind was forgiven when they nailed him to the tree
But most of all the children, they're the ones I hope will learn
That Jesus is our savior and he's going to return
And Christmas isn't just a day and all days aren't the same
Perhaps they'll think about the word and see it spells his name
And I know that if St. Nicholas was here, he would agree
That Jesus gave the greatest gift of all to you and me
They led him to the slaughter on a hill called Calvary
And mankind was forgiven, mankind was forgiven
We were all forgiven when they nailed him to the tree
So Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas.
I wonder if this Christmas they'll begin to understand
Truth is...when I sang this song for my former-girlfriend's mother (yes, we were still friends, even when the dating stopped), she balked at the phrase "led him to the slaughter." She said it sounded too violent. Probably what led me to write "Keep Him Away in a Manger," which you can read here next week.
One doesn't necessarily expect to be moved to tears because of a television commercial. Especially a television commercial featuring the poppy little 1974 tune by Redbone, "Come and Get Your Love." And yet...
The perfect casting, the fun song, the subtle acting, the storyline of "This is fun/this is lame/this is love"...oh my yes.
Truth is...It may take a lifetime to fully appreciate some family members, but the payoff for hanging in there is well worth the investment. And hang on to that thought the next time you start thinking about switching churches for anything other than deep theological differences.
Colossians 3:13 is used quite a bit to encourage believers to forgive people who have wronged them, and rightly so. I mean, just read it:
"Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."
Nice and simple in the New International Version, right? You should forgive others because, after all, God forgave you. That's the way it's always been taught to me, but just yesterday I started really thinking about that last phrase: "...as the Lord forgave you." Paul didn't say "because the Lord forgave you." He said "as." As in, "Forgive in the same way the Lord forgave you." My standard flesh-out-the-meaning translation, the Amplified Bible, says it like this: "just as the Lord has forgiven you, so should you forgive." And then it struck me. Think of what God did in order to forgive you! Yahweh doesn't just flippantly override His perfect justice and say, "Don't worry about all the wrong you've done. I've decided it doesn't matter." No. In order to satisfy justice and yet offer us forgiveness, the God of all creation made the greatest sacrifice of all. "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." (John 15:13 NIV)
It cost Jesus His very life to be able to forgive us. Why would we expect to be able to forgive others without it costing us something? For example, when I've forgiven someone, I've promised to never bring the matter up again...and that's a hard promise to keep. How many times have I wanted to say, "But what about the time I forgave you for...?!!?" Truth is...forgiveness has never been easy, but for any kind of relationship to work, or just to be able to walk through life without the burden of keeping a grudge intact, it's absolutely necessary.
Just because someone sings a song in the first person doesn't mean the singer is being autobiographical. That shouldn't be a shocking revelation, considering all the songs out there that are basically Jesus singing: "Rise Again" by Dallas Holm, "That Where I Am There You May Also Be" by Rich Mullins, etc. But there are other songs where the singer being the voice for someone else isn't quite as obvious. Case in point, "The Winner (High Card)" by Randy Stonehill. It's the third song on the Welcome to Paradise album, which means it's still on the side expressing the lostness and searching of the human condition without Christ.
Truth is...[From Stonehill's liner notes for the 25th anniversary CD] I told [Jim Steele] I wanted to write a song about the carnal counterfeit version of success that a dark world often uses to seduce our hungry hearts...and Jim jump-started the lyric singing, "I'm an owner, a loaner, the man who's in control." I said, "Yep, that's the right approach! If we write a preachy song about what an empty lifestyle being a corporate carnivore is, it will be much easier for people to ignore. Let's write it from the 'first-person perspective' instead. Let's tell the story through the eyes of the hollow victor. That way, the lie is exposed by the tongue of its' victim!"
Exodus 20:1-17 is where a person can find what we've come to call The Ten Commandments. Through several centuries, they've been respected as a good way to live your life, whether you particularly believe in God or not. In an effort to get them off the page and into our lives, allow me to offer them in a more-understandable format than the traditional Thou Shalt Nots.
1. I am your only God. Keep it that way. 2. Accept no substitutes or representations. Why? Because not only am I "jealous" and do I inflict judgment (x4), but I am also abundantly merciful and loving (x1,000). 3. Don't use my name lightly, frivolously, or in making false affirmations. 4. Honor and trust me by resting one day a week. Keep that day set apart for my purposes in you. 5. Treat your parents with all due obedience and courtesy. 6. Don't murder. 7. Don't cheat on your spouse - even if you aren't married yet. 8. Don't take what isn't yours. 9. Don't tell lies about anyone. 10. Don't jealously desire what someone else has. Truth is...It really is as simple as that. And yet, even with just this short list, we still find ourselves in desperate need of a savior. This Thanksgiving, I choose to be thankful that Yahweh met that desperate need.
The 17th chapter of Exodus has a couple incidents in it that might make those who emphasize the sovereignty...the total self-sufficiency and omnipotence...of God come up short. In verses one through seven, the former slaves are apparently taken by surprise that walking through the desert results in them getting thirsty, so they whine and complain and tell Moses to give them some water...as if he's keeping a tanker truck full of liquid refreshment all to himself. Acting on orders from Yahweh, Moses stands in front of everybody and hits a rock with his staff...a rock which then pours out enough water to quench the thirst of the million or so grumblers.
Then, in verses eight through thirteen, the Israelites and the Amalekites do battle, but the Israelites only do well when Moses' hands are raised. If he gets tired and lowers his arms, the Amalekites start gaining the advantage. Eventually, Aaron and Hur stand on either side of Moses while he sits so he can rest his upstretched hands on them and the army of Israel prevails. Now...could God have provided water without the theatrics of Moses hitting a rock? Could Yahweh have given the army of Israel a victory without Aaron and Hur holding up Moses' hands? OF COURSE HE COULD HAVE. Truth is...I am currently in the midst of a job transition and wondering what door the Lord might be opening for me. I am searching and praying and hoping that I'll soon get hired so I can keep buying groceries and making the mortgage payments. With that in mind, I think you can understand how the words I wrote in my journal back on April 16, 2002 in response to Exodus 17 are particularly impactful for me today:
For some reason, God chose to do His mighty acts through Moses, rather than personally. (What kind of acts do You want to do through me, Lord?)
